1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a portable grill. More specifically, this invention is directed to a portable, self contained grill assembly having an adjustability feature enabling the grill to remain horizontal when used on uneven terrain.
2. Description of Related Art
Since the dawn of man, people have been cooking over a campfire. The lure of the great outdoors is still strong. Today many people welcome the opportunity to escape to nature and cook over an open fire. Consequently, many devices have been developed over the years that support cooking utensils or grills over a campfire. Generally, such devices utilize some type of frame assembly erected over a campfire from which a cooking utensil or grill is suspended.
Tripod stands or systems for supporting a grill or other cooking platform or utensil over an open fire on the ground have existed for many years. See for example: U.S. Pat. Nos. 366,833; 2,466,496; 3,043,209; and 4,120,280. These stands typically include at least three legs connected at one end thereof to form an apex. A support element, typically a flexible wire or chain is used to suspend a grill from the apex of the stand. In many cases, a detent element, such as a cable hook, is attached at the opposite end of the support element and engages one of the legs of the stand. The cable hook slides along the leg and is used to position; i.e., raise and lower the grill, with respect to the fire on the ground to achieve a desired cooking height. These tripod stands or systems by virtue of gravity hang straight down whereby the grill surface is level. One problem encountered with such systems is that adjustability depends upon the size or overall diameter of the grill surface and the length of the tripod legs. In addition, it also depends upon the ground surface or terrain upon which the tripod system is placed. For instance, if the ground surface or terrain is uneven or has too great a slope, the grill or cooking surface will swing to one side and contact one of the legs. Contact with one of the legs usually prevents the grill or cooking surface from hanging level and in some instances prevents adjustability.
In addition, there are many portable cooking devices which use fire shields or self contained fire pits or fireboxes positioned adjacent or near the grill or cooking surface. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,313 discloses a portable campfire fireplace having a collapsible firebox defining an area in which a campfire can be built. The firebox helps to contain the campfire. The campfire is still built on the ground surface and is simply contained by the firebox. A similar arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 315,846, wherein a collapsible circular fire shield is shown disposed below a grill suspended from a tripod stand or system. Both devices require that the fire is built on the ground.
Most camping areas or recreational parks expressly prohibit building a campfire or cooking fire on the ground in any area other than specific areas designated by pre-located fire pits. These fire pits vary in size and design. Accordingly, it is sometimes difficult to properly position a grill structure over the fire pit. Additionally, the fire pit is not always located in the most convenient spot for cooking. Finally, some camping areas or recreational parks expressly forbid any type of fire on the ground surface. In order to provide portability and convenience, many grill assemblies now utilize a fire bowl or firebox as part of the assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,138 illustrates one type of such an assembly wherein a tripod assembly for supporting a grill or cooking surface is attached to a fire bowl. The fire bowl includes a plurality of nonadjustable leg members used to support it on the ground surface. Thus, while the grill or cooking surface suspended from the tripod frame will remain level, the fire bowl is susceptible to variations in the ground surface.
In addition to the prior art set forth above, several apparatuses have been designed with the issue of portability in mind. U.S. Pat. No. 955,140 discloses a camping apparatus including a supporting tripod formed of telescoping legs that collapse and fit inside sections of a flue for portability purposes. The apparatus further includes a fire shield formed of a plurality of sidewalls pivotally connected together so that they may be folded up. This apparatus still requires that the fire be built on the ground surface. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,851 discloses a tripod arrangement wherein a grill is suspended from the tripod apex to provide a cooking surface. One of the tripod legs is larger in diameter than the others and is adapted to receive all the other components of the device for storage and thus provide for portability. U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,344 discloses a portable cooking grill slidably mounted on support elements, specifically a series of rods driven into the ground. The grill surface and associated collapsible fire shield panels slide up and down the support elements to position the grill with respect to the fire. In each of these instances, the fire is made on the ground surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,498,210 discloses a firebox and a grate-type grill mounted in a cantilevered manner on a support post. The post includes outwardly extending legs that brace the post and correspondingly support the weight of the cantilevered firebox.
From the above, it can be appreciated that portable grills of the prior art are not fully optimized to provide a portable grill apparatus having adjustability to maintain the orientation of the grill or cooking surface. In addition, these grills typically fail to provide a means for containing the fire such that the fire is not built directly on the ground surface. Therefore, what is needed is a portable grill that maintains the orientation of the grill or cooking surface when placed on uneven terrain and if necessary may include a firebox that contains and supports a cooking fire above the ground surface.